Simon RushworthLegendary British rock and rollers The Quireboys wrapped up another hugely successful headline tour this month, with the revamped line-up on fire. Talk of a new album in 2027 might have caught Luke Morley by surprise but Spike’s Indian Summer shows no sign of fading…
The band’s even tighter than the bandana!
How Spike ties the perfect bandana night after night is a longstanding mystery fit for fellow Geordie Vera but it remains one of rock and roll’s most loved — and most familiar — fashion statements. Whether it’s tighter than his current band, of course, is a subject for furious debate. You see, the decision to draft in Luke Morley, Willie Dowling and Harry James might just be the most sensible thing Spike’s ever done (it’s a short list but even so) as it’s difficult to recall a time in recent years when The Quireboys have sounded this good. Slick, even. Spike might not always remember to sing all the right words in all the right places but his brilliant band rarely miss a beat.
The old ones are the best
Let’s face it, Spike and his much-missed marra Guy Bailey penned some quite spectacular songs during their heyday. Hearing Morley and Dowling put a new spin on the old classics is a real treat and the band’s autumn tour featured sensational versions of Hey You, Whippin’ Boy, 7 O’Clock and more. But the one tune this band brings to life best of all? The enduring ballad I Don’t Love You Anymore. Dowling’s keys could turn grown men to tears and, in this new era of professionalism (ok, maybe that’s going a bit too far), Spike sounds like Bensham’s answer to Michael Bolton. A bit.
More Morley’s more fun
Now this entire review could easily morph into a love letter to Luke Morley but the god of Thunder just keeps raising the bar. Fans looking forward to his latest solo turn — in support of a reborn Little Angels — can expect a peerless six stringer at the very top of his game. His work on King Of New York elevates an often overlooked Quireboys classic to a starry new level and it’s Morley who ensures Spike’s heartfelt cover of Frankie Miller’s Raining Whiskey soars. Night after night.
Willie or won’t he?
Every time that rascal Spike cheekily introduces his fellow Geordie as ‘Willie Dowling from The Grip’ it’s impossible not to feel a twang of sympathy for a supremely talented musician who’s done so much more than front the short-lived late 80s soft rockers. One day the classy keysman will just hit the off switch, get up off his stool and stroll right out of whichever venue The Quireboys have happened to rock up at. And who could blame him? The unfortunate butt of Spike’s worst jokes deserves a medal for putting up with his band mate’s constant jibes and childish tomfoolery. It’s all good fun. Until it’s not…
Gold standard support guaranteed
If there’s one given at any Quireboys gig it’s that a quality support band — or two — is guaranteed. Spike’s good mates Soho Dukes reprised their role as party-starting openers on this tour but everyone was talking about one band come chucking out time: The Karma Effect. This year’s Cruel Intentions album is an absolute belter and, in charismatic frontman Henry Gottelier, the rising stars of Earache Records boast a generational talent. Ride Or Die’s a raucous live favourite that gets better with every fresh listen thanks to six stringer Robbie Blake’s flamboyant licks.